Process of making construction materials



R. P. PERRY.

PROCESS OF MAKING CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS. APPLICATION FILEQD DEC.8,l9I7- RENEWED AUG. 21. 1919.

1,338,037, Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

l/VVE/VTOR Q7 5? @727 ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAY P. PERRY, OF UPPER MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE BARRETT COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PROCESS OF MAKING CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

Application filed December 8, 1917, Serial No. 206,315. Renewed August 27, 1919. Serial No. 320,806.

To all whom it may concern:

, ;.Be it known that I, RAY P. PERRY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Upper Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Making Construction Materials, of which 161,670, filed April 12, 1917, and entitled the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a method of making a waterproof, impervious construction material such as Waterproof roofing materials known to the trade as rubber roofings, or such material in the form of flat or corrugated sheets or shingles. In my copending' application bearing Serial No.

' Felts and processes of making the same,

' minuted form.

I have described a waterproof felt made by mixing the usual paper-making stock in the form of a watery pulp with comminuted fusible waterproofing material in solid form,-

.same to the waterproofing process, which is laborious and often dificult to the desired uniformity.

According to my invention I produce a operate with waterproof impervious, construction material *by forming a mixture of the usual papermaking stock in the form of a watery pulp and a comparatively large percentage of fusible waterproofing material in solid com- In order to obtain the best results I prefer that the ,comminuted waterproofing material comprise at least by weight of the water-free con- As high as 95% by tent of the mixture. 7 weight of the comminuted waterproofing material of the water-free weight of the mixture may be employed with success. erally the comminuted fusible waterproofing Genmaterial is of a bituminous character, such as pitch or asphalt, and I- prefer that the material be subdivided in the form of tar pitch of about 200 threads or filaments, this form giving superior results.

After the above mixture has been formed in any suitable manner, I may, according to the one mode of procedure, place a layer of the 'mixture within a perforated mold, in which the mixture without being previously dried by heating the same or otherwise, is

subjected to pressure, as by means of a hydraulic press. The mixture is heated generally to a temperature less than 212 F. simultaneously with its subjection to pressure. The pressure forces most of the water out of the layer mechanically. Such pressure also serves to compact the layer. The fusible waterproofing material can not, of course, be readil compacted, but the fiber constituent of t e mixture is compressible and the result of the pressure applied to the mixture is that the fiber content of the same is considerably compressed and thd waterproofing material is forced into the interstices of the fibers and about the same. The heat serves, not as a drying agent, but to slightly soften or even fuse the comminuted fusible waterproofing material in order to thereby enable the mixture to acquire a substantially homogeneous character. Of course where the comminuted fusible waterproofing material consists of the softer grades of pitch or asphalt, whose melting points are not far removed from normal temperature, heat may be dispensed with. Generally, however, heat is necessary in order to soften the particles of fusilble Waterproofin material.

I melting point or upward is formed in a sheet in this way, using say 75% pitch and 25% fibrous material,'there is formed a finished waterproof impervious material in sheet form which, in appearance, resembles considerably hard vulcanized rubber. Due to the pressure :used in the formation of the sheet, which pressure is usually above 100 pounds per square inchand in some cases may be much higher say up to 1000 lbs. or' more per square inch of area of sheet treated, the fibrous content 'ofthe sheet is compressed and condensed, and thereby serves as a support of network to hold the waterproof content of the sheet firmly together. The sheet thus formed has considerable mechanical If coal convenient manner.

Referring to the drawing, wherein I have diagrammatically illustrated a device wherein one form of my invention may be practised,

1 indicates a substantially rectangular receptacle or mold having in its sides and bottom the perforations 2. W'ithin the mold is placed the layer 3 consisting of paper-forming material in the form of a Watery pulp to which has been added a predetermined quantity of comminuted fusible waterproofing material. The waterproofing material should preferably comprise at least 50% and may comprise as high as 95% by weight of the water-free weight of the mixture. The mold is placed upon the support 4 of a hydraulic press, of which the movable mem ber 5 may be operated in any well known or desired manner to exert the desired degree of pressure upon the layer 3 within the mold 1. In order to provide the desired degree of heat where heat is desired, thewalls of the mold may be provided with steam spaces 6 and similarly the movable member 5 of the press may have steam space 7, in each case steam inlets being provided as well as exits (not shown).

The operation of the device is clear from the above description and the sheet thus formed has the desirable properties already indicated. Depending on the shape of the mold and the plunger, fiat or tapered or corrugated sheets, or those having other forms, may be formed.

It is a feature of my process that a drying process involving evaporation of the Water in the original pulp mixture is avoided, and only such drying is used as is secured by expressing the water in the pressure process. A small amount of moisture may remain in the fibers butnot sufficient to be harmful.

Instead of using a mold as illustrated, I may form the layer by the usual type of paper-making machines, and then instead of leading it to the usual heated driers to evaporate the water, may lead it to a series of compression rolls which may be moderately heated to soften the waterproofing material but not substantially to evaporate the water from the layer, and by gradually subjecting the layer to increasing pressure I may compact the same, express a considerable share of the Water and form a substantially finished sheet suitable for use in such condition, or it may receive a seal coat of waterproof materialas in the matter employed in making the so-called rubber roofings of .commerce.

What I claim is:

1. The process of producing an impervious Waterproof construction material, comprising the steps of forming at ordinary temperatures a mixture of a watery pulp of fibrous material, and a comparatively large quantity of comminuted fusible waterproofing material, forming the mixture into a layer, and thereafter and before the layer is dried applying heat and pressure thereto to form the layer into a substantially homogeneous impervious waterproof sheet.

2. The process of'producing an impervious Waterproof construction material, comprising the steps of forming at ordinary temperatures a mixture of a Watery pulp of fibrous material, and a comparatively large quantity of comminuted bituminous material, forming the mixture into a layer, and thereafter and before the layer is dried ap plying heat and pressure thereto to form the layer into a substantially homogeneous impervious waterproof sheet. 1

3. The process of producing an'impervious waterproof construction material, comprising the steps of forming at ordinary temperatures a mixture of a Watery pulp of.

fibrous material, and a comparatively large quantity of comminuted fusible waterproofing material, forming the mixture into a layer, and thereafter Without evaporating the water in the layer, subjecting said layer to pressure to form it into a sheet substantially impervious to Water.

4:. The process of producing an impervious waterproof construction material, comprising the steps of forming at ordinary temperatures a mixture of a watery pulp of fibrous material, and a comparatively large quantity of comminuted fusible waterproofing material, forming the mixture into a layer, and thereafter Without evaporating the Water in the layer, subjecting said layer to heat sufficient to soften the Waterproofing material but not to evaporate the Water in the layer.

5. The process of producing an impervious waterproof construction material, comprising the steps of forming at ordinary temperatures a mixture of a watery pulp of fibrous'material, and a comparatively large quantity of comminuted bituminous material, forming the mixture into a layer, and thereafter without evaporating the Water in the layer, subjecting said layer to great pressure to form it into a roofing sheet substantially impervious to Water.

6. The process of producing an impervious waterproof construction material, comprising the steps of forming at ordinary temperatures a mixture of a watery pulp of fibrous material, and a comparatively large quantity of comminuted pitch, forming the mixture into a layer, and thereafter without evaporating the water in the layer, subjecting said layer to great pressure to form it into a roofing sheet substantially impervious to Water.

7. The process of producing an impervious waterproof construction material, comprising the steps of forming at ordinary temperatures a mixture of a watery pulp of fibrous material, and more bituminous material by weight than the weight of the fibrous material, forming the mixture into a layer, and thereafter without evaporating the water in the layer, subjecting said layer to great pressure to form it into a sheet substantially impervious to water. 7

8. The process of producing an impervious Waterproof construction material, comprising the steps of forming at ordinary temperatures a mixture of a watery pulp of fibrous material, and about three times as much bituminous material by weight as the 1 weight of the fibrous material, forming the mixture into a layer, and thereafter without evaporating the Water in the layer, subjecting said layer to great pressure to form it into a sheet substantially impervious to water.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

RAY P. PERRY. 

